Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls Recipe | Easy Homemade Dinner Idea
Crispy chicken spring rolls with a juicy, flavorful filling and ultra-crunchy wrappers, with options to pan-fry, air fry, or bake. Make-ahead friendly and easy to customize with different veggies and sauces.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken (or finely chopped cooked chicken)
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage (or coleslaw mix)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 20–24 spring roll wrappers (8–9 inch, not rice paper)
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for sealing)
- Neutral oil for frying (peanut, canola, or avocado)
- 1 tablespoon oil for cooking filling (plus more as needed)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground chicken, break it up, and cook until no longer pink, about 4–5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add cabbage, carrots, and scallions and sauté until the cabbage softens but still has bite, 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce if using, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt, then sprinkle in cornstarch and mix until the filling looks cohesive and not wet.
- Transfer the filling to a tray and let it cool to room temperature to prevent soggy wrappers.
- Set up a rolling station with wrappers under a damp towel, a small bowl of beaten egg for sealing, and a parchment-lined tray.
- Lay a wrapper in a diamond shape, place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling near the bottom corner, fold the bottom corner over and roll once, fold in both sides snugly, brush the top corner with egg wash, and roll tightly to seal; repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
- For pan-frying: heat 1–1.5 inches of oil to 350–360°F in a deep skillet, fry 5–6 rolls at a time seam side down, turning occasionally until golden, 3–4 minutes, then drain on a wire rack and season with a pinch of salt.
- For air frying: preheat to 390°F, lightly spray rolls with oil, air fry in a single layer for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until crisp and deep golden.
- For baking: preheat oven to 425°F, place rolls on a rack over a sheet pan, brush or spray with oil, and bake 16–20 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.
- Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar or honey, chili-garlic sauce if using, and sesame oil to make the dipping sauce, adjusting to taste.
- Let rolls rest 2 minutes to finish crisping, then serve whole or sliced on a diagonal with the dipping sauce.
Notes
Roll tightly to prevent bursting and ensure maximum crunch. Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel while working. For make-ahead, freeze rolled uncooked spring rolls on a tray, then bag up to 2 months; cook from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to cook times. Re-crisp leftovers in an air fryer at 360°F for 5–6 minutes or in a 400°F oven for 8–10 minutes. Avoid microwaving to preserve crispness. Customize with additional veggies, spices, or sauces to taste.